Free Auto Repair Management Tips Blog

Gary Gunn quizzes YNR Members on how they define auto repair leadership. Repair Shop Owners need to learn key skills in order to be effective leaders in their automotive businesses.

Auto Repair Leadership - your vision is handed down to your staff and customers.Auto Repair Leadership Defined

Gary opens by asking the group how they define auto repair leadership. Each of our YNR members contribute valuable takes in this clip.

Joe says a true leader knows the direction that automotive business is going. Pam adds that that leaders set the tone and pace of the business. The owner leads by making sure everyone focuses on the main goals and the team doesn’t go off on tangents. Brian Gillis has mentioned before that every auto shop has a “speed up / slow down” rhythm. The owner must ensure that everyone keeps that pace.

Fred reminds us that leaders must set month to month goals for staff. Owners lead by creating processes. They also have to continually seek ways to improve those processes.

Jerry adds that auto repair leadership means defining a repair shop’s vision. Then it is up to the owner to lead by example.

Gary Recommends Leadership Resources

All of these definitions included aspects of leadership. However, Gary has more to add. Since he is a certified eMyth coach, Gary Gunn has learned leadership methods inside and out from Michael Gerber. John Maxwell also has great leadership training resources, which dig much deeper. Remember, core tenets of the job may never change. However, changing times could mean new problems to solve.

Learn More – Book Your FREE Strategy Session

Does your independent auto repair shop lack direction? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out. So you need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian Gillis? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

Auto Repair SOP - Standard Operating Procedures with You Net Results

By Paradee

The Benefits of an Auto Repair SOP

As an auto repair shop owner, you know a streamlined, efficient process is the best way to succeed. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are key to meeting this goal. SOPs help standardize processes, reduce overhead, and improve service. All the while, you establish a more positive, predictable outcome for customers. Let’s look at why SOPs are so important in auto repair shops. 

Reducing Costs & Overhead with SOPs 

Each auto repair SOP reduces costs and overhead. You will streamline your processes, thus saving time and money. SOPs also make it easier to train new employees, since they won’t have to learn everything from scratch. Staff just need to follow the established protocols. This can also help reduce mistakes as everyone follows the same process each time. 

Providing Better Service with SOPs 

Using SOPs in your auto repair shop helps you provide better customer service. Having known protocols makes sure that all repairs are done efficiently. When customers know their cars are being fixed by a pro, it eases their minds. Also, if a repair job goes wrong, clear SOPs help resolve issues quickly.

Establishing Predictability with SOPs 

Finally, SOPs establish predictability. SOPs clear up expectations for both employees and customers. This creates a sense of order and consistency. Thus, everyone feels more at ease.

Using SOPs critically reduces costs and overhead. This provides better service and predictability for both employees and customers alike!

These systems are a must in today’s market! Clear, concise rules make training new employees much easier. All the while, you still provide excellent customer service. In order to stay ahead, invest in comprehensive SOPs for your business!

You Net Results Will Help You Start Your Auto Repair SOP Journey

Contact You Net Results today. We’ll guide you in building critical SOPs! Book a free call. Brian Gillis and team will help build your foundation. Plug into a vast network of auto repair shops who work together to strengthen the industry! Let’s make February the best month of your business life!

Auto repair shop management doesn’t have to be a mystery. Long time automotive business coach Gary Gunn shares his decades of automotive industry experience running multiple shops with you! When you take Gary’s and head coach Brian Gillis’ advice to heart, you will put your business systems in place and see results in no time!

Auto Repair Shop Management - mechanics and technicians run the systemsDefining Auto Repair Shop Management – How Is It Different From Leadership?

Gary opens the clip, polling the group on the difference between auto repair shop management and leadership.

Pam believes that managing is staying on top of details and keeping staff on top of their tasks. Fred believes Leaders hand down goals and processes to Managers. Then the Managers use the SOPs to guide the people.

Joe defines the Leadership role as one who sets the pace and tone for the shop’s business. Management then manipulates the Technicians and Service Advisors to execute the Leader’s vision. Joe clarifies that the staff roles are similar to that of military ranks. As the owner and leader, he recognizes the strengths of each employee in their positions.

Jerry continues by agreeing with all the previous points. He then adds that Auto Repair Shop Management means overseeing the systems and processes, so Mechanics and Service Writers can do their thing.

Gary also reminds us that people do not want to be managed. They can’t! That method of management always reduces people to robots. Effective managers should manage the systems, so the SOPs themselves can manage the people.

Learn More – Get Your FREE Strategy Session

Does your independent automotive shop lack a clear vision? Maybe your business plan has stalled out. You need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

Auto Repair Shop Money Management might be an uncomfortable topic, but we need to cover it! Gary Gunn quizzes our YNR panel of automotive shop owners on how they can better manage their finances.

Repair shop maney management - not an easy automotive topicDefining Money – Repair Shop Money Management

Gary starts off with an unusual question for our panel of shop owners. “How do you define money?” It may seem silly to ask a question like this. However, when we get to the root of what money really is, we can take a deeper dive into repair shop money management.

When Pam replies, she defines money as an item we exchange in lieu of barter. We have assigned a value to it, so it drives commodities in our markets.

Fred measures money in time. Customers pay us for our employees’ time when they perform automotive repair services. We then pay those employees for their time. Finally, we pay ourselves for the time we put in guiding our team and steering the ship.

Joe adds that the government assigns money a value based on the gold that backs it. We can then exchange that valuable paper for a good or service. Jerry then uses the analogy of money as a fuel for an engine. That engine exists to move our business or personal life forward. Money management is how we fine tune that engine.

Gary’s Response

Gary makes the point that we can run out of the “gas” that is money and end up stuck on the proverbial freeway. Sometimes our business’s cash on hand can ebb and flow. However, our repair shop money management skills will determine will determine if we reach our long term destination.

Learn More – Get Your FREE Strategy Session

Do lack direction on repair shop money management? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out, and you need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!

Gary Gunn polls our YNR group on Repair Shop Staff Roles. What should we expect from our people? How do we make that clear, and what must we do to help them meet our expectations?

Repair Shop Staff Roles - auto repair mechanicsDefining People – Repair Shop Staff Roles

This clip from our Leadership Process opens up with Gary requesting class members to define “people”. Broad? Maybe. Simple? Definitely not.

Pam believes all people are created by God for specific purposes. She also believes it is impossible to actually “manage people”. Fred adds that people are just “impossible” altogether! A good manager’s role is to identify each staff member’s strengths and weaknesses and help them fit in, if possible. Managers manage the systems, and the systems manage the people.

Are you an owner or manager who hates dealing with customers? Then you don’t need to take on the repair shop staff roles of Service Writer or Service Advisor! A good manager can also recognize what their own best role is. Maybe it’s in the back helping train technicians.

Different Viewpoints on Auto Repair Shop Staff Roles

Joe made the point that two people can observe the same object or concept and see completely different things. Mike points out that this is because those two people have different worldviews and agendas. Every repair shop hire may bring their own baggage in. Likewise, an astute leader can recognize said baggage.

Gary reminds us that we as auto repair shop owners and managers are all people ourselves! Like it or not, we are all in the people business. Whether you work with customers at the front counter or technicians in the back of the house, it’s up to you to recognize your systems and how to help staff run them.

Learn More – Get Your FREE Strategy Session

Does your auto repair shop lack direction? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out, so you need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!